Fiji Yr Ynys

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-Every island

-transports you to another world.

-Where natural life...

-..and the nature of life have

-evolved in their own unique way.

-But due to the pressures

-of the modern world...

-..the tide is turning,

-for better and for worse.

-In this series,

-we meet islanders all over the world.

-People who are proud

-of their history...

-..who preserve their customs,

-who are patriotic.

-But globalization...

-..has made it impossible

-for islanders to stand alone.

-In many ways, these shores

-are leading the battle...

-..to save the planet.

-The island's fate

-is critical to us all.

-In the glistening waters

-of the Pacific Ocean...

-..are the 333 islands

-that make up the nation of Fiji.

-When I lived in Sydney for a while

-as an honorary Aussie...

-..I was fortunate

-to be able to travel.

-I'd often fly over the South Pacific

-and islands such as Fiji...

-..and wonder what it would be like

-to live there.

-The opportunity

-has now presented itself.

-I'll explore the secret of Fiji's

-success on the rugby field...

-..and take a peek

-at the national team's plans...

-..to beat Wales and the world.

-I'm also embarking on a journey

-from the shoreline...

-..deep into the countryside

-to work and to play.

-To drink and to celebrate

-with the people of Fiji.

-THEY SING IN FIJIAN

-Behind the shelter of coral reefs,

-Fijians have a unique way of life.

-I'm going back in time...

-..to experience the ancient customs

-of the cannibals.

-I'll also hear

-about the missionaries...

-..who believed that they

-brought light to a dark island.

-# What A Friend We Have In Jesus #

-I taste the island's

-most important export - sugar.

-I hear about the Indians

-who came here years ago...

-..as slaves to reap the harvest...

-..and who now celebrate

-their Fijian identity.

-However, all is not well

-on this colourful island.

-GUNFIRE

-There are underlying tensions.

-As global warming takes effect,

-another danger has engulfed Fiji...

-..one that threatens to turn

-this paradise into hell.

-I'm about to see the effects

-of climate change for myself.

-The coral reefs that protect

-the shores are dying.

-Nobody knows what effect the loss

-of these reefs will have on Fiji.

-The ramifications are so vast

-that they prompt one big question.

-How could an island such as Fiji

-with its unique culture...

-..withstand a possible

-natural disaster?

-Today, Fiji has a population

-of one million.

-Most of the people

-live on the main island, Viti Levu.

-Inhabitants of the capital, Suva...

-..along with a dozen other

-major towns...

-..enjoy their urban lives.

-Elsewhere, things are very different.

-A few kilometres from Viti Levu

-is the island of Beqa...

-..where the ancient culture

-is alive and well.

-This isn't the leisurely,

-smooth journey I was expecting...

-..crossing from Suva to Beqa...

-..but we'll get a glimpse

-of how villagers live here.

-MEN SHOUT

-The islanders are preparing

-a welcoming ceremony for me.

-I have to prepare to meet them too.

-Let me explain.

-This is the sulu - it's the first

-time I've worn a skirt.

-In public, at least!

-I'm about to enter the village hall

-behind me.

-I'm wearing the sulu to show

-my respect for the tribe's chief...

-..and all the villagers

-here in Beqa.

-I haven't come empty-handed.

-I've brought the root

-of a kava plant...

-..which is used to prepare

-a very special drink.

-Sevusevu. From Wales.

-The sevusevu, the gift ceremony,

-is an important custom for visitors.

-You should never disrespect

-the ritual.

-The villagers have already brewed

-a drink for me from a kava root...

-..similar to the one

-I presented to the chief.

-I'm told it's much stronger

-than beer...

-..and likely to make my head spin.

-SLOW HANDCLAP

-Cheers.

-I'm expected to drink the bowl's

-contents in one big gulp.

-I must remember to clap my hands

-after finishing.

-The tribe's chief is wise.

-He has appointed a friend

-to drink it on his behalf.

-I wasn't sure what to expect.

-It didn't look very appetizing.

-There wasn't much taste to it either,

-but it has left my tongue numb.

-I'm not sure how I'll feel

-in half an hour...

-..but it was an experience.

-The chief is called Tui Sawau.

-He controls everything

-in the village.

-Today, he has organized a ceremony...

-..to show me the power

-of the tribe's ancient customs.

-First, the villagers

-light the lovo...

-..an earth oven...

-..and prepare a traditional feast.

-Every family contributes

-and shares the cooking duties.

-Feeding the body isn't the only

-reason for all the preparation.

-It's a way of teaching

-the local children...

-..to respect their customs.

-Tui Sawau tells me it's essential

-to sustain their traditions.

-It's important to teach the children

-to be polite...

-..and ensure they understand

-the different responsibilities.

-But beyond the sea, a wind of change

-is blowing towards Beqa.

-The influences of the west

-greatly concern Tui Sawau...

-..as does Suva's urban lifestyle.

-He tells me

-they are bad influences...

-..that threaten

-the old communal way of life.

-Now that I've proven I can drink

-kava like a native...

-..I get to sample the feast

-from the lovo.

-It's very tasty.

-It's different,

-but it was worth the journey.

-Next come preparations for the ritual

-of which Tui Sawau is so proud.

-Vilavilairevo.

-This literally means

-jumping into the oven.

-MEN SHOUT

-I'd call it walking over hot coals.

-The ritual is as old as Beqa itself.

-HE SPEAKS FIJIAN

-For centuries, Tui Sawau's ancestors

-have been walking over hot coals.

-The legend behind the ritual...

-..is familiar

-to young and old alike.

-The legend's hero is a tribal chief

-called Tui-na-Iviqalita.

-One day, Tui-na-Iviqalita

-catches a magical eel.

-He offers to release the creature

-back into the sea...

-..in exchange for the gift

-of fire-walking.

-Only the men walk over the coals...

-..but everyone has a role to play

-in the preparations.

-For four nights

-before the ceremony...

-..they have to give up

-certain privileges.

-The men are forbidden

-from sleeping with their wives.

-They are also forbidden

-from eating coconut.

-RHYTHMIC DRUMMING

-Before fire-walking,

-they perform the Meke...

-..a dance that summons the spirit

-of the Sawau tribe.

-The dance is a reminder of old

-battles and keeps the history alive.

-RHYTHMIC BEATS AND CHANTS

-It's said that the Meke

-can foresee the future.

-I'm just going to see

-how hot these stones are.

-I definitely wouldn't want to walk

-over those.

-MEN SHOUT

-The priest begins the ceremony...

-..calling on the men

-to prepare the fire pit.

-Everybody must follow

-his instructions.

-The stones reach a temperature

-of 300 degrees Celsius.

-If someone breaks the rules...

-..they would certainly burn,

-says Tui Sawau.

-The big moment has finally arrived.

-One by one,

-the men challenge the heat...

-..and follow

-in the footsteps of their ancestors.

-Successfully crossing the stones

-safeguards the tribe's honour.

-MEN SING

-Tui Sawau realizes...

-..that he cannot protect his people

-and customs for ever.

-CHIEF SPEAKS IN FIJIAN

-You can't keep all influences

-at bay, he says.

-Black clouds are gathering

-on the horizon for Beqa...

-..changes that not even the tribe's

-prophetic ceremonies can foresee.

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-Change is about to sweep

-across Fiji's shores...

-..but this isn't the first

-unexpected wave to wash over them.

-Less than 150 years ago,

-cannibals lived here.

-Tribal warfare was commonplace.

-The ultimate revenge

-was to eat the enemy.

-Back on Viti Levu,

-the islanders are coming together...

-..to recreate their bloodthirsty

-history in a play.

-I enter a dark cave

-in the depths of the jungle...

-..to watch one of the strangest

-things I've ever seen.

-They're dramatizing the story

-of a Christian missionary...

-..who came here

-to eradicate cannibalism.

-In 1867, a young minister

-called Thomas Baker...

-..paid the ultimate price

-for his mission.

-He was offered as a sacrifice

-to the local war god.

-He was slaughtered,

-cooked and eaten.

-At least Thomas's sacrifice

-wasn't in vain.

-The missionaries

-eventually civilized the island...

-..and eradicated violent practices.

-Nowadays, Fiji's Christians

-refer to the old days...

-..as na gauna ni tevoro -

-the time of the devil.

-There are now a quarter of a million

-Methodists in Fiji.

-Asenatha Vicana is one of them.

-SHE SPEAKS FIJIAN

-When the missionaries

-brought the gospel to the island...

-..people turned their back

-on cannibalism and warfare.

-Asenatha is a Sunday school teacher.

-She's also the wife

-of a village chief...

-..in the north of Viti Levu,

-Fiji's main island.

-She's searching for a way to combine

-her faith with Fiji's old rituals.

-God is the priority, says Asenatha.

-We pray to God first...

-..before the ceremony

-and the traditional celebrations.

-CHILDREN SING IN FIJIAN

-# Read your Bible

-# Pray every day, pray every day

-# Pray every day #

-When the missionaries

-introduced Christianity to Fiji...

-..the faith

-was completely alien to them.

-Religious icons

-such as this black Christ...

-..are an effort to show that Jesus

-saved people from all races.

-The islanders were converted...

-..and Fiji is today considered

-to be the Pacific's Bible Belt.

-I couldn't be further

-from Bethesda chapel in Tumble...

-..where I went as a child.

-But the smiles tell you how much

-they enjoy Sunday school, as I did.

-After Sunday school, the luli drum

-heralds morning service.

-At one time, the luli was used

-to summon the men to battle.

-These days, it's the chapel faithful

-who come to sing hymns.

-# What A Friend We Have In Jesus #

-Asenatha says that singing hymns

-brings her closer to God.

-When you sing,

-the words of the hymn touch you.

-You're glorifying God

-and thanking him for his blessings.

-Asenatha is keen to extend

-the blessings outside chapel too.

-As the chief's wife, the welfare

-of the community is her concern.

-She is the mother of the village.

-If someone is starving,

-Asenatha feeds them.

-If someone is crying,

-she comforts them.

-She does all she can

-for the villagers.

-Asenatha's philanthropy

-extends beyond the village of Navola.

-In 2004, she founded

-the area's first nursery school.

-She says it's vital

-that the children are educated.

-Education can transform villages

-such as ours.

-There is now a network of nursery

-schools in neighbouring villages.

-By combining her faith

-and her duty to the tribe...

-..Asenatha brings blessings

-to everyone.

-THEY PERFORM THE CIBI

-But the old and the new

-don't always sit well together.

-The Cibi is an ancient battle chant.

-It's a chorus that disturbs

-any rugby team taking on Fiji.

-One of the team's stars

-explains the meaning of the words.

-"I have a shield, I have a spear

-"We're ready to go into battle

-"We will beat you."

-Sireli Naqelevuki is a centre.

-He has performed the Cibi

-at more than 20 internationals.

-He says the Cibi makes you feel

-as if you're preparing for battle.

-It gives you strength

-and excites you.

-Unfortunately, some of Fiji's chapel

-faithful didn't see it that way.

-In 2009, with the backing

-of the team's minister...

-..the Cibi was banned

-because it was deemed unchristian.

-For the first time in 70 years,

-the team dropped the Cibi...

-..before a big game

-against Scotland.

-The team was trounced.

-Had they angered the ancient gods?

-For rugby supporters in rural Fiji...

-..this was their cue

-to tackle the prejudice.

-They fought to restore the ritual

-in the nation's favourite sport.

-Like Christianity,

-rugby came to Fiji from Europe.

-The people are passionate about it.

-The sport is an important part

-of their everyday lives.

-Sireli says that rugby

-is slowly becoming a religion.

-It has a large following

-in the villages.

-The children develop the skills

-and the confidence at a young age.

-This is incredible.

-There are people of all ages here.

-Twenty-year-olds and five-year-olds

-are playing together.

-They have natural flair.

-It's fantastic to watch.

-No wonder

-they're such good sevens players.

-Incredible.

-It's nice to see people

-enjoying rugby.

-They're throwing the ball around

-and letting their skills do the work.

-There is support

-for any boy from the village...

-..who's selected

-for the national side.

-Before a game, Sireli's parents

-give him encouragement.

-"Go out and show the world

-that you're a great rugby player.

-"Bring success back to Fiji."

-THEY SING IN FIJIAN

-With the support of the fans...

-..the Fiji Rugby Union stood up

-against the Christian authorities...

-..and demanded that the team

-be allowed to perform the Cibi.

-Once again, the old war cry

-echoes across the field.

-The battle for the Cibi is over...

-..but Fiji now faces

-a much bigger battle.

-A sudden change in the weather

-is a sure sign.

-This isn't what I expected

-on the paradise island of Fiji...

-..but I've obviously brought

-the weather with me from Wales.

-It isn't down to me, of course -

-this is the effect of global warming.

-El Nino

-has contributed greatly to that.

-Variations in ocean temperatures

-and air surface pressure...

-..on the South American coast...

-..cause El Nino to sweep

-harsh weather across Fiji.

-On a rainy day, I take a boat trip

-on a traditional vessel....

-..and begin to realize

-the extent of the problem.

-The experienced captain tells me

-that today is no exception.

-For the past decade in Fiji...

-..every winter and summer...

-..has seen a change in temperature

-and climate.

-Beneath the waves,

-the damage continues.

-Due to the warming of the sea...

-..the algae that sustain

-the coral reefs are dying.

-The reefs protect Fiji's

-fragile coastline from storms.

-Without the reefs, the tide

-threatens to drown seaside homes...

-..where 90% of the population lives.

-History is being washed away.

-We've read numerous articles...

-..and we've heard and seen plenty

-about rising sea levels in the media.

-If you need any proof of that,

-just look out to sea here...

-..and you'll see that a cemetery

-has sunk into the sea.

-This is Fiji's Cantre'r Gwaelod.

-Can the damage be reversed

-or is it already too late for Fiji?

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-Nobody can rely

-on Fiji's weather these days.

-Years ago, it was far more stable...

-..enabling one of the world's most

-profitable exports to flourish.

-I'm in a field, surrounded by one

-of Fiji's most lucrative industries.

-Sugar.

-Surprise, surprise, it's very sweet!

-This is the sugar that goes

-into your tea and coffee at home.

-But however sweet the taste,

-sugar has a bitter history in Fiji.

-It's the story

-of privileged people...

-..lining their pockets

-from the toil of poor labourers.

-In 1874, Fiji was colonized

-by the British...

-..and their new masters seized

-the opportunity to make money.

-The British brought over

-60,000 Indian labourers...

-..to work in the sugar plantations.

-To all intents and purposes,

-they were slaves.

-The sugar industry flourished

-at their expense.

-It became the cornerstone

-of the Fijian economy.

-Fiji now produces four million tonnes

-of sugar cane annually.

-Small trains

-transport the sugar to the mill.

-There are 600km of railway tracks...

-..making it the longest network

-of its kind in the world.

-Wherever you drive on the island...

-..small trains

-run parallel with the road.

-When the slave labour system

-came to an end in 1917...

-..the Indian immigrants

-had settled here.

-Few could afford to return to India,

-even if they wanted to.

-Indians now make up

-40% of Fiji's population.

-Lal Phillip is one of them.

-He's a descendant

-of the original slave labourers.

-HE SPEAKS FIJIAN

-His ancestors came to Fiji by boat

-to work on the sugar plantations.

-Many died on the voyage and their

-bodies were thrown overboard.

-These days, Lal farms four acres

-of sugar cane.

-His family has retained

-the old Indian customs...

-..despite being the fifth generation

-to be raised in Fiji.

-MAN CHANTS

-They've also retained their faith.

-This Hindu temple is the largest

-in the southern hemisphere.

-It attracts hundreds of worshippers

-every day.

-The faithful come to worship Murugan,

-the god of seasonal rains.

-They ask him to bless Fiji

-and make it fertile.

-But is Murugan listening

-to their prayers?

-According to Lal,

-the rain failed in 1996 and 1997.

-Cattle died and food became scarce.

-The drought almost killed them.

-El Nino causes extremes

-in weather conditions.

-Fiji suffers increasing droughts

-as well as raging storms.

-It used to rain in December,

-January and February...

-..but it's now dry all season long.

-Without the rain,

-the sugar doesn't grow.

-Each year, the yield is lower.

-Fiji's entire economy is reliant

-on a good sugar harvest.

-But the lack of rain isn't the only

-problem facing Fiji's sugar growers.

-GUNFIRE

-Thirty years of ethnic conflicts

-have rocked Fiji.

-They stem from tensions

-between native Fijians...

-..and Fijian Indians.

-The civil unrest

-has led to bloodshed on both sides.

-The Fijian government

-has suffered four coups...

-..and thousands have fled to India.

-However, fleeing has never been

-an option for Lal.

-He's a Fijian Indian of mixed blood.

-He was born in Fiji

-and the island is his home.

-Since 2006, there has been a period

-of political calm in Fiji...

-..but the battle

-against El Nino continues.

-In the shadow of the mountains,

-another landscape is in danger.

-Fiji's highlands

-are a pure paradise.

-I was determined to see them

-with my own eyes.

-I'm on my way up

-to the mountains...

-..in this solid-looking vehicle.

-Although I'm feeling fit and well,

-I have to see a doctor.

-The doctor lives

-in the heart of Viti Levu...

-..in a remote village

-in the Nausori Highlands.

-It's as if time has stood still

-in Navala.

-Villagers work together

-for the benefit of the community.

-I have a small cottage in Cardiff.

-I know now

-what kind of roof it needs.

-Every family has a home built

-and repairs are carried out for free.

-Education is also free.

-Today's lesson is Geography.

-All these children

-had heard about Wales...

-..but none of them

-were sure where it was.

-One of them went to fetch a map...

-..and now they all know

-where Wales is.

-This is the doctor

-I've come all this way to see.

-Millie Sura cares for everybody

-in the village.

-She's a traditional

-medicine woman...

-..like many of her female relatives

-before her.

-SHE SPEAKS FIJIAN

-Millie keeps her medicinal potions

-a secret.

-She says that she can't reveal

-what's in them.

-If she shared that information,

-the medicine wouldn't work.

-Millie can soothe pain

-by creating a natural antiseptic.

-It's made from plants

-collected from the nearby forest.

-Take the mango tree, says Millie.

-It has so many uses.

-You can scrape the bark

-and mix it with hot water and salt.

-You can gargle with it

-to soothe toothache.

-It can also be used

-to treat diarrhoea.

-Diarrhoea is a very serious complaint

-in a village such as this.

-It can kill small children.

-Accompanied by her husband, Moses,

-Millie collects the plants she needs.

-She has to travel some distance

-to find certain plants.

-Others grow

-in hard-to-reach places...

-..such as cliffs and mountain tops.

-The plants that are hardest

-to come by are the most beneficial.

-The wisdom Millie possesses

-is a very powerful thing.

-However, she's wholly dependent

-on the natural pharmacy...

-..that grows

-in the surrounding woodland.

-Climate change

-threatens this green pharmacy.

-She has to walk further and further

-to find the plants she needs.

-She is concerned that, one day,

-they will stop growing.

-I've had a fantastic day.

-It's a day I'll never forget.

-I came up to Navala...

-..to speak to the medicine woman...

-..to find out

-how she cured illnesses...

-..with plants

-from the surrounding valley...

-..but I found much more than that.

-The villagers have been hospitable

-and they are all contented.

-There are no western influences,

-no money and no luxuries.

-They have very little

-apart from love for each other.

-I've never seen

-such a spirit before.

-But it isn't just Fiji's mountains

-that hide surprises.

-Its shores hold secrets too.

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-As my journey around Fiji

-nears its end...

-..I hear the same message

-echoing across the islands.

-The climate is changing

-so suddenly...

-..that nature can't adapt

-quickly enough...

-..especially along the coast.

-Although it looks beautiful here,

-there are problems under the surface.

-The coral reefs,

-sand and fish are in danger.

-As these waters become warmer...

-..the coral is dying.

-Without the reef to protect them

-from the ferocity of the sea...

-..every beach is in danger.

-The fragile ecosystem

-of Fiji's coast is under threat.

-Panapasa Namali is on a personal

-mission to restore the equilibrium.

-Safeguarding the Pacific Ocean

-is part of his tribe's history.

-He says he was specifically chosen

-by Naka Levu...

-..chief of the Nadroga tribe.

-His ancestors have always enjoyed

-a special relationship with the sea.

-To protect his legacy...

-..Panapasa is working

-on an ambitious project.

-The coral is the starting point.

-The coral defends the beach

-by taming the stormy waves...

-..before they reach the shore.

-Panapasa is fully aware

-of the reef's importance.

-When a cyclone or a tsunami

-hit the island...

-..the reef would protect

-the islanders...

-..from the damaging force.

-A healthy reef is also

-a thriving habitat for fish.

-By feeding on the coral,

-the fish regenerate the beaches...

-..by producing fresh sand.

-But this naturally-occurring cycle

-is fragile.

-The warm current

-produced by El Nino...

-..causes the sea's temperature

-to rise.

-The heat is causing reef to die

-at a rate never seen before.

-In some places,

-80% of the coral dies.

-Without the reefs to sustain them,

-fish are disappearing.

-Without fish to generate new sand...

-..the beaches are being washed away,

-exposing bare rock.

-The marine life

-that Panapasa used to see...

-..has disappeared from the ocean.

-He says that the waters

-have been ravaged.

-On the island of Moturiki...

-..villagers have pioneered a new way

-to restore the balance.

-They've started to farm coral.

-Islanders grow wild coral cuttings

-on plastic boards.

-Replanting them

-will hopefully resurrect the reef.

-In a year's time, these cuttings

-will have doubled in size.

-By replanting mature coral...

-..the fragile reefs

-will flourish once again.

-This is the outcome of the project.

-The long-term hope is that

-the coral will grow naturally...

-..out there on the reef.

-The project offers

-a sustainable future for the reefs...

-..and a model

-that can be replicated.

-HE SPEAKS FIJIAN

-Panapasa believes that if islanders

-can regenerate the sea...

-..by planting coral, the whole world

-could learn from their example.

-What fish did you say?

-Hopefully a parrot fish.

-By creating habitats for the fish

-on fragile reefs...

-..Panapasa gives the fish

-an opportunity to return.

-He's marketing the scheme

-as ecotourism.

-The tourists learn about the shores

-as they help to regenerate them.

-Although it's too early

-to see the results...

-..initiatives such as these

-are fuelling the battle...

-..against climate change in Fiji.

-Panapasa says that we can't

-just think of ourselves...

-..and about lining our pockets.

-We have to consider

-generations to come.

-Two questions remain.

-Is it enough?

-And has it come too late?

-Every island is special.

-The Fijian islands

-are among the best in the world.

-It was a dream to come to Fiji

-to see it with my own eyes.

-I couldn't have chosen

-a better place.

-Fiji's landscape

-will live in my memory forever.

-Its ancient history

-is just as striking.

-Then, of course,

-there's the people.

-It's the people

-who make Fiji so special.

-I've never met

-such a hospitable nation.

-The people are warm and friendly.

-The word "Bula" - hello -

-echoes all around...

-..from the high street and the market

-to the beach.

-These people deserve to live in the

-natural beauty that surrounds them.

-They also deserve assurances...

-..that the same beauty

-will be seen by their children...

-..and their children's children.

-I've seen evidence

-that Fiji's climate is changing.

-I've also met islanders who are

-striving to safeguard their legacy.

-However, Fiji's fate lies

-in the hands of the entire world.

-The eleventh hour is upon us.

-Are we ready to fight for the cause?

-S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.

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